AMBER’S DEATH: April 14, 1992
In the days leading up to Amber’s death, Christina noticed Amber would come back with bruising, facial swelling, and abrasions across her cheeks after being in David’s care. When Christina asked David about the bruising, he would explain that Amber tripped off the curb or fell down the porch steps. Amber confirmed the various falls when Christina asked her what happened.
Christina and David discussed taking Amber to the hospital. Christina recalled David telling her that if they took Amber to the hospital, Children’s Services would take Amber away. Christina spoke with Jeannie Lagel and Joan Resch about Amber’s bruising and asked if they thought she should bring Amber to a doctor. Both women agreed that Christina should monitor her daughter’s behavior. Joan said to keep an eye to see if Amber exhibited any concussion-like symptoms.
From left: Jeannie Lagle, friend Mike Arons, and Christina, at a gathering at Jeannie’s house in the early 1990s.
Outside David Herrin’s trailer, April 1994
The morning of Tuesday, April 14, 1992, David left early, allegedly to go to the unemployment office as he had lost his job the previous Friday. Christina fed Amber and David returned while Christina was getting ready for the day in the bathroom. Around 12:30 pm, Christina took David’s car to go to Jeannie’s home, about a twenty minute drive from David’s trailer.
Christina spent the day with Jeannie, who was paying her five dollars an hour to transcribe notes. Unbeknownst to Christina, after Christina left Jeannie’s house that evening, Jeannie received a call from David that Christina needed to come home immediately. Jeannie reassured David that Christina had already left and would be there soon.
When Christina arrived at the trailer, she saw David standing outside and mouthing something. Christina got out of the car and David told her that he couldn’t wake Amber up from her nap. Christina ran inside and found Amber unconscious. Christina grabbed her daughter and rushed with David to the hospital. Christina attempted to perform CPR on Amber in the car. On their way to the hospital the two briefly stopped at a roadside payphone to call Jeannie and ask her to meet them at the hospital. When they pulled up to the emergency room entrance, and before David even stopped the car fully, Christina grabbed Amber and sprinted inside. She screamed, “My baby isn’t breathing.” A nurse ran over and placed Amber on a stretcher and wheeled her into an operating room.
Once Amber was in the care of the attending nurses and physicians, Christina broke down, shouting at David, “What happened?” David just kept saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” shaking his head. Later that evening, the nurse emerged from the operating room and told Christina that Amber died.
Christina explaining the day of Amber’s death from her perspective (1 of 2)
Christina explaining the day of Amber’s death from her perspective (2 of 2)
In the days following Amber’s death, Christina was arrested and the town turned against her. She was soon denounced as a “Baby Killer” and headlines started to circulate throughout local news. While in jail, Christina connected with Joan and insisted that Amber be buried in her new Easter dress. Christina, handcuffed and in her jail uniform, was brought to the funeral home where she saw Amber in the casket. Christina was not allowed to attend the funeral, as jail officers and staff believed she would not be able to behave in her compromised mental state. Joan and Joan’s biological son Kevin went, and later described the events to Christina in jail: “Joan told me that her casket was filled with stuffed animals.”
Without being able to say goodbye to her child, Christina remained in her jail cell for three years until she was transferred first to Hardwick State Prison after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. After a few years in prison, Christina was transferred to Washington State Prison, and finally to Pulaski State Prison, where she remains incarcerated.
